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Edit Workflows on the Canvas

Workflow Designer lets you build a workflow by arranging nodes on a canvas and connecting them. This article covers the canvas editing operations: selecting, copying, duplicating, deleting, and reconnecting.

Navigation: Administration > Workflow Designer

Prerequisites

  • You have the Edit Workflow Designer role, or a role above it. See Workflow Designer Permissions.

  • The workflow has Draft status. A Published or Superseded workflow opens in read-only mode, and you cannot edit it on the canvas.

Select Nodes and Connections

  • Click a node to select it.

  • Hold Shift and click more nodes to add them to the selection. This does not select the connections between them.

  • Hold Shift and drag across empty canvas to select an area. An area selection also selects the connections inside the area.

  • Click empty canvas to clear the selection.

Copy, Cut, and Paste

Action

Windows

macOS

Copy

Ctrl+C

Cmd+C

Cut

Ctrl+X

Cmd+X

Paste

Ctrl+V

Cmd+V

The shortcuts do not work while the cursor is in a text field.

  1. Select the nodes you want to copy. You cannot copy or cut the Start workflow node, because a workflow always has exactly one.

  2. Press Ctrl+C to copy, or Ctrl+X to cut.

  3. Press Ctrl+V to paste.

Expected Result

The pasted nodes appear offset from the originals, and they are selected. Each further paste of the same content is offset one more step, so repeated pastes fan out.

A copy includes a connection only when you select the connection and both of the nodes it joins. To include connections, select an area.

Duplicate a Node

  1. Right-click the node. To duplicate several nodes, select them first, then right-click inside the selection.

  2. Select Duplicate.

Expected Result

A copy of each duplicated node appears on the canvas.

Delete Nodes and Connections

Delete does not ask you to confirm. To restore what you deleted, click Undo in the canvas toolbar.

  1. Right-click the node, the connection, or a selection of several nodes.

  2. Select Delete. The Start workflow node has no Delete option.

Expected Result

Workflow Designer removes the selected nodes and connections. It also removes the connections attached to each deleted node.

Reconnect a Connection

You can move one end of an existing connection to another node, instead of deleting the connection and drawing a new one.

If you release the endpoint on empty canvas, Workflow Designer deletes the connection.

  1. Point to the end of the connection you want to move.

  2. Drag the endpoint to the connection handle on another node.

  3. Release the endpoint on the handle.

While you drag, a dimmed copy of the connection stays visible. It shows how the nodes were connected before you started. Workflow Designer highlights the handles that accept the connection. You can drop the endpoint only on one of these handles.

Expected Result

The connection joins the new node. The other end of the connection does not change.

Right-Click Menu Reference

The options in the right-click menu depend on what you click.

You right-click

Options

A node

Properties, Duplicate, Delete

A connection

Delete

A selection of several nodes

Duplicate, Delete

The Start workflow node

Properties

Empty canvas

No menu. To paste, press Ctrl+V.

If your browser's own menu opens when you right-click, the canvas is read-only. A Published or Superseded workflow always opens read-only. Your role can also make the canvas read-only. See Workflow Designer Permissions. To edit a published workflow, create a new version, then edit the draft. See Manage Workflows.

Undo and Redo

Use Undo and Redo in the canvas toolbar to step back and forward through your canvas changes.